We have commenced our 35th year of fantastic lectures covering a range of subjects relating to fine, decorative, contemporary and creative art forms. We had fantastic attendance at our first lecture on Edna Walling, Australia’s most influential Landscape Designer and are looking forward to our March lecture. The monthly meetings are a wonderful and informal way to make friends and to get to know others in our community. For more information on the 2025 Program and joining ArtsNational Shoalhaven (ANShoalhaven) go to https://www.artsnational.au/societies/shoalhaven/.
Secrets of Serail: Behind the Scenes at the Ottoman Court
20 March 2025, 7.30pm, Berry Uniting Church Hall, 71–77 Albert Street, Berry
Join us for an unforgettable journey through Istanbul’s most magnificent palaces – Topkapi, with its grand courts, lush gardens and opulent pavilions, and Dolmabahçe, a 19th-century masterpiece of sheer extravagance. Sail along the Bosphorus, where waterfront mansions whisper secrets of imperial grandeur. Through the eyes of European writers and artists and Ottoman records, uncover the dazzling jewels, lavish costumes and priceless treasures of the sultans. Then, cross the threshold into the legendary harem, where power, intrigue and ambition shaped the lives of concubines and the formidable Queen Mother. Don’t miss this captivating lecture!
Sue Rollin is a London-based expert in Near Eastern archaeology and South Asian studies. She has lectured at London and Cambridge universities and worked as a European Commission interpreter. Now a freelance interpreter, lecturer and tour guide, Sue has led cultural tours across Spain, Sicily, Morocco, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. Co-author of travel guides on Jordan and Istanbul, she also lectures for the Arts Society and the V&A and has completed four ArtsNational lecture tours.
Visitors are welcome. Visitors $25 and Student Visitors $15. Tickets at the door on the night or book through Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/CWBGP
